


Whumptober 2019 - 23 - Bleeding Out

by OllieCollie



Series: Whumptober 2019 [23]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Bleeding Out, Gen, Peril, Whump, bad day to surf, protective Rick/T.C.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2021-01-02 04:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21155372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OllieCollie/pseuds/OllieCollie
Summary: What happened next was so quick that Rick didn’t have time to register what was going on until T.C. let out a yell and tumbled off his board, landing in the water with a splash. His wide eyes met Rick’s for a split second before his head disappeared under the water’s surface.“T.C.!” A ripple of panic ran up Rick’s spine. Had his friend slipped? He desperately paddled closer to where T.C. had landed. The huge gray mass Rick spotted underneath the water was unmistakable, and fear struck him right in the heart.





	Whumptober 2019 - 23 - Bleeding Out

**Author's Note:**

> I had a ton of fun writing this one. Lots of Rick/T.C. whump. Please drop a comment and let me know what you thought!

“Now _ that _was a nice wave,” T.C. called out to Rick, who was paddling his surfboard back out toward the other man. 

“You’re tellin’ me.” Rick grinned in agreement, slowing to a stop next to his friend. “Man, it’s a good morning to surf.” He gazed out across the shimmering water and sighed contentedly. It was amazing how something as simple as a view could be so beautiful and calming. Near-silence surrounded them, the soft rush of waves and call of seagulls only adding to the picturesque scene. 

“It’s too bad T.M. decided he’d have a better time sleeping in,” T.C. said with a shake of his head. “You think we’ll ever convince Higgy to climb on a board?”

Rick chuckled. “I don’t know, man, but I have a feeling she’d crush it if she tried.” He straddled his board and squinted over at his friend. “Ready for round two?”

T.C. grinned. “You bet. I—”

What happened next was so quick that Rick didn’t have time to register what was going on until T.C. let out a yell and tumbled off his board, landing in the water with a splash. His wide eyes met Rick’s for a split second before his head disappeared under the water’s surface. 

“T.C.!” A ripple of panic ran up Rick’s spine. Had his friend slipped? He desperately paddled closer to where T.C. had landed. The huge gray mass Rick spotted underneath the water was unmistakable, and fear struck him right in the heart. _ No, no, no. _A shark. A freakin’ shark.

Time slowed down. Rick could see his friend bobbing up and down in the waves, crying out in pain as he struggled.

“T.C.!” Rick was already moving closer despite the terror pounding within.

“R—Rick!” T.C. managed to choke out. “Stay...stay on your board!” He went under again.

No way. There was absolutely no way that Rick was staying put just to watch his best friend get eaten alive. Without another thought, he slid off his board and into the water—which, he noted, was beginning to turn a faint shade of pink. He nearly choked at the thought.

_ Stay focused, Rick, _he told himself. He had to get this beast away from him and T.C. 

“Don’t!” T.C. hollered, desperately fighting against the shark’s firm hold on him. Rick paid no attention, diving down underwater to get a better angle. He vaguely heard T.C.’s muffled shout, but he ignored it. 

As his vision adjusted somewhat, Rick was able to make out the shark’s gigantic form—and its razor-sharp teeth, which were currently embedded in T.C.’s left leg. 

His mind raced. He knew there was something he could do...come on, he didn’t have time for his memories to leave him now! He needed the shark to let go.

Suddenly, it came flooding to him, and Rick shoved his fist as hard as he could into the shark’s gills. He did it again, and this time the creature recoiled, his jaws coming open and releasing T.C.

Rick’s head popped up from underwater, and he gasped for air. “Come on, man!” he called, wondering how his friend hadn’t passed out yet. “Get on your board!” He watched as T.C. struggled to reach for the surfboard bobbing in front of him.

Rick's relief was short-lived when, in the next instant, something bumped against him. He barely had time to prepare himself before the painful sensation of teeth sinking into his shoulder hit him. A searing pain shot up his arm, and Rick gasped as he was yanked under the water by the animal who clearly wanted revenge—or maybe just a snack. The man tried his earlier tactic, curling his his free hand into a fist and attempting to punch at the shark. But with the way the water sloshed in a whirlpool around them, not to mention the fact that one arm was currently incapacitated, he wasn’t able to get in a good hit. 

It was hard to figure out which way was up at that point. Everything was fading into confusion, but Rick knew he had to do _ something. _T.C. was still up there somewhere, hurt and bleeding out, and he needed to get help.

He thrashed harder, hoping that maybe a wild kick or punch would find a sensitive spot on the shark’s face. Pain tore at him, and he was barely coherent enough to realize that the giant creature had finally released him and was now swimming away.

He couldn’t trust that it wouldn’t be back. He had to get to the surface, he had to get to the beach. And he had to do it _ now _.

Somehow, Rick managed to find his way up, and his head popped above the water. Everything around him was spinning. His lungs burned, and his shoulder throbbed. But one thought stuck out in his mind: _ T.C. _

“T.C.!” he shouted, kicking his legs in an attempt to keep himself afloat. They needed to get out of the water, and they needed to go now.

Something grabbed at him, and for a split second, he thought the shark had come back to finish him off. _ Crap— _

“Rick!” The voice was full of pain and fear, but it was _ there _. 

He glanced up, his blurry gaze coming into contact with T.C.’s face. The man’s brow was furrowed in pain—no, agony—but his grip was strong as he tugged Rick along with him. 

“Rick, grab—grab your board!” 

He vaguely realized that there was a surfboard bobbing a few feet in front of him. He choked on a pained sob. “T.C….I—I can’t—”

“Yes, you can! You have to, man,” his friend said through gritted teeth. “C’mon…”

Rick took a deep breath and reached out with his good arm, trying his hardest to grab the board. He managed to stretch far enough to grasp the edge, and he pulled it closer. 

“That—that’s it,” T.C. huffed out from right next to him.

Panic overwhelmed Rick. He knew they needed to get to shore, to get out of the water. The longer they stayed out there, the more likely it was that the shark would return for the scent of blood—there was a good amount of that in the water at this point, he was sure.

He gasped in a ragged breath as he attempted to heave himself up onto his board. His injured shoulder protested tremendously.

"Rick…" T.C.'s voice was weak, but it was still there. "We gotta...go."

Rick swallowed and clung tighter to his board. He didn't know if he had the energy to kick, to propel himself forward. His gaze drifted worriedly across the ocean. The water was calm right now, but he didn't dare think about what lurked under the surface. His heart pounded in his chest. A shark had attacked them...that kind of stuff only happened on TV, didn't it?

"Rick—come on, brother." A hand clumsily shoved at him in a desperate attempt to move him higher on his board. "Stay awake!" T.C. demanded. 

Rick had no clue how his friend had managed to stay so alert after nearly getting his leg ripped off by a _ shark _ . He, for one, wasn't able to focus. He tried to force himself to move, but it wasn't working. _ Come on! _he yelled internally. He knew they didn't have much time. 

But the water wasn't so cold anymore, and Rick felt his head drooping down to rest against his surfboard. He vaguely heard T.C. calling his name as he faded.

* * *

"I suppose Rick and T.C. are having a grand time," Juliet said with a smile as she strolled down toward the beach. Thomas followed, although he steered clear of the lads as he went. Jules shook her head. "They wanted you to join them, you know."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Those two don't understand that the work of a private investigator involves sometimes staying up until the crack of dawn to solve a case. When I get the chance to sleep in, I take it."

"Honestly, Magnum, you aren't the only one around here who puts in hard work," Higgins chided, glancing out across the water. "In fact, I would be willing to wager that—" She paused in the middle of her speech, glancing over to Thomas, who had stopped walking and was now gazing out at the water. "Magnum, is something the matter?" She followed his gaze and spotted T.C. and Rick far out in the waves. 

He didn't respond, his frown deepening as he watched the two men.

Juliet felt her own brow furrow, only in confusion. She stepped closer. "Thomas, what is going on?"

"They're too low on their boards."

The woman frowned, squinting in the direction of Rick and T.C. "Are you sure they're not simply being ridiculous for the sake of it?" They had been known to attempt some rather unexplainable things in the past; Jules would not be surprised.

Thomas took another step toward the water and shook his head. 

"Magnum! What is it?" Jules moved after him, stopping when the water lapped at her ankles. Thomas kept going. "Are they in trouble?" She tried to get a better look at the two men bobbing in the water, but it was difficult to make out more than their figures on their boards. Then she saw it. The way T.C. was paddling toward the shore—albeit very slowly—and the other figure—Rick—was slumped limply across his board. _ Oh no. _

Fear began building up as she moved further into the water. 

"Higgins! Call 911!" she heard Thomas yell, just before he took off. His giant strokes took him to the two men in no time. It was then that Jules saw the blood. Her jaw dropped. What on earth had happened?

She wanted to chase after them, to help, but she knew they needed an ambulance—and quickly. So she retreated far enough out of the water to dig out her phone, thankful that it wasn't water-damaged, and dialed the emergency number.

* * *

"T.C.!" Magnum called, swimming closer to his two best friends, his mind racing. T.C. seemed coherent, but Rick was sprawled out on his board, as if unconscious. Or maybe even—

_ No. _He couldn't think like that. Thomas approached the two men on their boards. "T.C.—"

"Thomas!" There was a strain in the man's voice as his eyes widened. "There's—a shark. You gotta go; you gotta get out of the water!" 

"Hey, hey, calm down," Thomas urged, his eyes landing on the mangled mess that was T.C.'s leg. "It's all right. We need to get you two to shore." He moved closer, wincing when he caught a glimpse of Rick's shoulder. Thomas had become familiar with the sight of wounds and blood, but it was never easy, especially when it was one of his friends...and this...it was not a pretty sight. 

Thomas forced himself to take a deep breath. By this point, he hoped that whatever monster of a shark had attacked them was long gone—but there was no way to be sure and they needed to move fast. Blood was seeping from both of the men's wounds.

T.C.'s gaze turned to Rick, fear rising in his eyes when he saw the injured man's closed eyes. "Rick—hey! Orville! Don't you do this to me!"

Thomas tried his best to calm T.C. down while checking Rick's pulse. It was weak and thready, but it was there. "Let's get moving," he said, his voice quiet but urgent. Every instinct wanted to check further on Rick, but he knew it was more important to get to safety first.

The trio made their way toward the beach, struggling to swim and stay afloat but managing to make it nonetheless. Thomas felt sand underneath his feet and breathed a sigh of relief.

He heard Higgins' gasp as he tugged the boards up onto the sand. Zeus and Apollo barked worriedly, prancing up and down the beach as the humans congregated near the water's edge.

Thomas barely took the time to catch his breath. "We need towels, blankets—something to stop the blood," he gasped out, his eyes scanning his friends' injuries. It was bad. Really bad.

Thomas ripped off his shirt without a second thought and pressed it to Rick's upper left shoulder. As much as he would have hated to hear his friend cry out in pain, it worried him even more when the man didn't make a sound.

Higgins appeared next to them, tossing a dry towel in Magnum's direction and turning her attention toward T.C., who was busy insisting he was fine. His eyes were on Rick, who was still deathly silent.

"Where's that ambulance?" Thomas snapped, louder than he'd meant. He was just so _ worried _.

Sirens wailed in the distance. _ Too _far in the distance.

"Come on, come on," Thomas muttered, pressing harder in order to staunch the flow of blood. This time, a tiny whine escaped Rick.

"Rick—hey man, can you hear me?" Thomas asked. He got a weak moan as a response.

"Rick!" T.C.'s eyes were glazed over but his focus was on Rick, even as Higgins worked to wrap his injured leg.

"They're here!" Higgins called, glancing up for a moment as the paramedics raced down toward them.

Thomas nodded absently. "Come on, Rick," he muttered. "Just stay with us."

There was so much blood…

* * *

"Hey, you guys sure you're ready for this?" Thomas peered over at his two friends through his sunglasses and raised an eyebrow. 

Rick and T.C. stood side by side in the sand, surfboards in hand as they gazed out across the beach.

It had been a long and painful recovery, but with the help of Higgins, Thomas, and each other, the two men had overcome the odds and were back to one-hundred percent. 

Rick tilted his head slightly upward. "Thomas, I think you're forgetting something." 

T.C. nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah?" Magnum scrunched up his nose. "And that would be…?"

Rick took a deep breath and grinned. "We were _ born _ready."

And with that, he and T.C. took off into the water, ready to catch some waves. Thomas chased after them, nearly tripping over his own board as he went. "Hey, slow down!" he complained. But he was relieved to see them back out there. A scary, one-in-a-million shark attack wasn't going to deter those guys. They were the strongest men Thomas had ever known. And he was proud to call them his brothers.


End file.
